Collapsible foot-rest for vehicles.



PATENTBD AUG. 11, 1908.

0. J. HARRIS. GOLLAPSIBLE FOOT BEST FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 22, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

CHARLES J. HARRIS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

COLLAPSIBLE FOOT-REST FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Original application filed November 5, 1906, Serial No. 341,966. Dividedand this application filed May 22, 1907. Serial No. 375,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Collapsible Foot-Rests forVehicles, of which the following description, in

connection with the accompanying drawings embo lment thereof, selectedfor purposes of illustration, its scope being more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings; Figure 1, is a side elevation of an automobile bodyshowing one form of my invention selected for illustration; Fig. 2, ahalf section thereof; Fig. 3, a plan, with parts broken away, of thecollapsible foot rest detached and Fig. 4, an end elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, and to the particular embodiment of myinvention selected for illustration therein, I have represented myinvention as applied to a vehicle body, preferably an automobile of theside entrance, tonneau, type, although, obviously my invention is notlimited to the specific form or construction of collapsible foot restnor to its application to an automobile body, since it is uallyapplicable to carriage bodies and er forms and types. In the presentinstance of my invention, I have shown the automobile body as providedwith an auxiliary seat, represented at 1, Figs. 1 and 2, to cooperatewith which I provide an adjustable and collapsible foot rest, though thelatter may be employed with the usual seat. the floor of the automobilebody and in juxtaposition and to cooperate with said seat, towards whichit is adjustable both vertically and horizontally. To this end Iprovide, at each side of the carriage body, a notched e ot This footrest is mounted uponplate 2, having a series of preferably inverted Tshaped notches opening at the top edge of the plate and which removablyreceive laterally projecting pins or lugs 4, respectively provided uponthe lower ends of front and back supporting side links 5 and 6, see Fig.1 (and more particularly Fig. 4). At their opposite or upper ends theseside links are hinged together and connected with the similar side linksat the opposite side of the foot rest by means of a transverselyarranged cross rod 7, the rear links, 6, receiving between their endsand holding between them a foot board 8, the front links being alsosuitably connected or tied together by a suitable cross bar 9.

The notched supporting plates may obviously be secured in any suitablemanner upon or adjacent any convenient portion of the floor or thecarriage body but as here shown and preferably, they are arranged at thesills thereof,-so as not to obstruct the floor space when the foldablehinged-link foot rest frame is removed.

The end notches of the links are separated a distance substantially eual to the total or combined lengths of the si e links, 5, 6, when thelatter are arranged end to end or laid out flat, thereby enabling thefoot rest to be so adjusted as to lie flat on the carriage floor and insuch position retained firmly in place Without rattling at the points ofcontact.

By the construction described,- the pins at the ends of the front linksmay be inserted in any of the corresponding notches at the front portionof the supporting plates and those of the rear links similarlypositioned in the notches at the rear portion thereof, thus providingfor adjustment or varying both the position and the angle of the footboard, permitting it to be moved longitudinally or horizontally andarranged in higher or lower position and adapting it to the particularneeds or comfort of the user. ing the front and rear links together, asdescribed, provides a convenient means by which the adjustable hingedmembers of the foot rest may be compactly folded together to permit itto be stored in a suitable storage space beneath one of the seats of theautomobile, herein shown as the front seat and as represented at 10.

Furthermore, hingprovided with a vertical portion open at its upper endto receive the adjustable link pin, 4, and to direct the latter into thesubstantially horizontal portion of said notches. The horizontalportions of the notches are each provided with an overhanging retainingwall to prevent the pins from being removed except intentionally and asthe foot rest is moved to bring said pins to an approXimately centralposition in vertical alinement with the vertical portions of saidrecesses, so that there is no possibility of accidental displacement ofthe pins nor of their getting out of the notches by the jolting due tothe movements of the automobile or from other causes. Said overhangingretaining walls furthermore, as herein shown, are preferably providedwith curved and downwardly extending faces, so that the pressure of thefoot on the foot board forces the front pins forward and downward andthe rear pins rearward and downward into the lower portions of saidnotches thus to cause the foot rest to bind on the floor covering andalso preventing and avoiding any rattling at the points of contact.

While I have shown and described one form of my invention with referenceto a particular embodiment thereof, obviously my invention is notlimited thereto nor to the specific construction and arrangement ofdetails nor to the application thereof to an automobile, the same beingcapable of moderation within wide limits without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus described one form of my invention, I claim 1. A collapsiblefoot rest for vehicles, comprising a pair of notched plates, a foldablejointed frame consisting of side links pivotally connected to oneanother and at their opposite ends provided with means for removablyengaging said notches, and a foot board secured to the correspondingside links.

2. In a device of the type described, a pair of plates having a seriesof notches longitudinally arranged thereon, a foldable foot rest frameconsisting of a pair of hinged links at each side thereof provided withlugs at their outer ends for removably engaging said notches, and a footboard connected with corresponding links of said frame, said notcheshaving downwardly inclined walls to direct said lugs to a lower positiontherein by the pressure of the foot on said foot board.

3. A collapsible and foldable foot rest, comprising a pair of plateshaving a series of notches longitudinally arranged thereon, a foldablefoot rest frame consisting of a pair of hinged links at each sidethereof provided with lugs at their outer ends removably to engage saidnotches and a foot board connected with corresponding links of saidframe, said notches presenting over hanging retaining walls forpreventing accidental displacement of said links thereof thereby toretain the same within said notches.

4. A collapsible and foldable foot rest frame, supporting means, andmeans for removably attaching said foot rest frame thereto andpermitting ready removal and including devices to permit horizontal andangular adjustment of said foot rest frame.

5. An adjustable foot rest, comprising a pair of recessed plates and acollapsible foot support having means for temporarily engaging therecesses of said plates said foot support being readily removable fromsaid plates.

6. An adjustable foot rest, comprising a pair of recessed plates and acollapsible jointed foot support having means for temporarily engagingthe recesses of said plates and including a device for-preventing theaccidental displacement or removal of said engaging means.

7. An adjustable and collapsible foot rest comprising a plurality ofdisengageable members consisting of a pair of notched plates and acollapsible jointed frame provided with means for temporarily engagingthe notches of said plates, said frame being readily removabletherefrom.

8. An adjustable and collapsible foot rest comprising a plurality ofdisengageable members consisting of a pair of notched plates and acollapsible jointed frame provided with means for temporarily engagingthe notches of said plates, each of said notches being substantially Tshaped and opening at the edge of said plate, the over hanging walls ofsaid notches preventing the disengagement of said engaging meanstherewith in the adjusted position of said frame.

9. A carriage body having its floor provided with a foot rest injuxtaposition to a carriage seat and having at the sills thereof a pairof notched plates and a collapsible jointed foot rest frame having meansfor temporarily engaging the notches of said plates, said frame beingreadily removable from said plates.

10. A carriage body having a pair of notched plates 2 secured at thesills of said body, a foldable foot-supporting frame comprising a footboard 8, links 6 at the sides thereof pivotally connected at one end tolinks 5 and lugs 4 at the. free ends of said links 5 and 6 for removablyengaging the notches of said plates, thereby to permit of adjustment ofsaid foot rest to a plurality of different positions.

11. In a collapsible and adjustable foot rest for vehicles, a platehaving a plurality of longitudinally arranged notches each provided witha substantially vertical portion and an approximate horizontal portion,the latter extending to both sides of said vertical portion, and a pairof hinged links provided with lugs 4 at their free ends for removablyand adjustably engaging said notches and retained in adjusted positionstherein by the overhanging walls thereof.

12. Collapsible foot rest for vehicles comprisinga pair of op ositelydisposed plates, each provided wlti recesses and a jointed frameconsisting of opposite pairs of side links, the members of each pairbeing pivotally connected together and provided with means for engagingsaid recesses.

13. A collapsible foot rest for vehicles comprising a pair of oppositelydisposed plates, each provided wlth recesses and a ointed frameconsisting of opposite pairs of side links, the members of each pairbeing pivotally connected together and provided with means for engagingsaid recesses, and means connecting said pairs of links.

14. A collapsible foot rest for vehicles comprising a base provided withone or more series of recesses and a jointed frame consisting ofopposite pairs of side links, the members of each pair being pivotallyconnected together and provided with means for engagin said recesses.

15. A collapsible foot rest for vehicles comprising a base provided withone or more series of recesses and a jointed frame consisting ofopposite pairs of side links, the members of each pair being pivotallyconnected together and provided with means for engaging said recesses,and means for connecting said pairs of links. I

16. A collapsible and foldable foot rest frame and supporting meanstherefor, said foot rest frame being connected to said supporting meansand bodily adjustable horizontally thereon and also angularly adjustedthereon.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. HARRIS.

WVitnesses:

Vro'ron Lmmmorn, THOMAS M. WEBB.

